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As a busy mom, the one-piece swimsuit has definitely made a comeback for me in the past few years. Like many, I know first-hand how challenging it can be to find a swimsuit that is practical, comfortable and looks flattering, especially when you’re running after kids and trying to keep it together under the hot sun…
Here are my 10 favorite one-piece swimsuits for busy moms, who want to have it all under the sun (Click on the link and image to be taken to the product):
This teal Abbie one-piece beauty from Modcloth is both supportive and sultry, making it the perfect addition to your next getaway’s wardrobe. Featuring cross-back straps, light ruching, and a padded bust, it’s your perfect pool or beach companion!
The Ruffle Side Stroke – Photo credit: shopstylecollective.com
In a playful mood? This lava and hibiscus-colored, one-sleeve Ruffle Side Stroke swimsuit from Summersalt is fun and chic enough, while still offering supportive cups, for any day out in the sun. Comes in sizes 2 through 22.
Adventure is calling your name with this simple yet daring one-piece Cove stunner from Summersalt! The best part? You can use it as a swimsuit and as a bodysuit too! Available in sizes 2 -22.
The Tiger Plunge – Photo credit: shopstylecollective.com
Sexy and simple is the name of the game with this Tiger Plunge one-piece swimsuit from Nordstrom! A scooped back and notched neckline add to this unique design for va-va-voom swim look! Available in sizes 2-10.
The Sophia – Photo credit: shopstylecollective.com
Vintage-inspired florals turn this classic Sophia piece into a wave-maker and head-turner! You’ll have fun with the eclectic details such as the criss-cross straps, front and back cutouts, and knotted accents. Available from sizes S-XL.
This Oasis stunner from Summersalt is truly an oasis of style and comfort, with its stylish belt added onto an otherwise classic swim silhouette. Available in sizes 2-14.
This Ruffle Backflip one-piece swimsuit will have you make backflips all over the place, with its classic polka dot design spiced up with ruffled sleeves and a deep, but not too deep, neckline. Available from sizes 2-22.
For those of us in need of full coverage like myself, this flamenco one-piece suit is the dream! Featuring a classic bandeau style, soft support, shirring in the waist, and removable, adjustable neck straps, it will keep you in place, and in style! Available in sizes 0-14.
The Reese One-Piece Swimsuit – Photo credit: shopstylecollective.com
Last but not least, this classic Reese one-piece swimsuit bursts with femininity! Elegantly cinched at the waist, ruffled around the neckline and boasting a beautiful print, it’s perfect for a ladylike day at the beach or pool! Available in S-XL.
Ready for a dip in the pool or at the beach? Send us your suggestions at corporate@thecorporatesister.com!
Welcome to Let It Be Friday!, where I say hello (and TGIF), and round up the lifestyle, career and business news that inspired, excited, made me smile (or laugh out loud).
In historical news, NBC News reports Joy Ann Reid is set to host the Reid-Out on MSNBC, making her the first Black woman to anchor a prime time news show in the US;
Black Enterprise reveals Auntie Miche is debuting her new podcast on July 29 and we’re here for it!
Working Mother lists the most common work benefits working mamas are missing out on;
Worried about your finances during this pandemic? The Corporate Sister is discussing how to re-organize your coins in this season;
Trying to get out there and attract the attention of hiring managers or clients? US News shares important tips on how to write a professional bio;
The Glassdoor Blog reports how various companies are honoring the call for diversity and inclusion;
Business Insider tips us off on 4 essential networking strategies to get hired during the COVID-19 pandemic;
Needing clarity as an entrepreneur during these uncertain times? Entrepreneur shares a few strategies;
Hey mamas, ever thought of soliciting feedback from…your kids? The Harvard Business Review encourages you to do so;
Dear Working Mom is our weekly love letter to working moms everywhere, where we talk about motherhood, life, work and everything in between…
Dear working mom,
You’ve gone through A LOT as a working mother, juggling family, home and work, sometimes all by yourself. Despite the pressure, especially in these times of pandemic, you’ve kept going, pushing through the daily obstacles and walls in your way, resisting the urge to give up, fighting through tears, frustration and overwhelm…Yet, you keep saying yes to requests coming your way, from personal to professional demands on your time and energy, even when you know deep inside you can’t take much more of this pressure…
You’re an undeniable source of support for so many, from your kids, spouse and family, to your friends and colleagues at work. Most people know they can count on you to be there, to do them favors, to pick them up when they fail. You know it too, all too well, so well that it’s become virtually impossible for you to say no. What you also know, all too well, is that you’re sinking under the weight of a to-do list that’s getting longer by the day, and expectations that are becoming heavier by the minute…
You’re overwhelmed, and you’ve been for quite some time. Or is the reality that you’re overextended, over-committed, and in over your head? And that, after all, you’ve been allowing it all along? As a matter of fact, you may even have been deriving some of your worth from it, even getting some sort of a “high” from this feeling of being so indispensable, so crucial to so many…Yet, it’s killing you, literally and figuratively…
In this pandemic season of added, crushing pressure, reeling uncertainty and acute fear, you may be suddenly realizing that instead of waiting for things (and people) to change on their own, you may just be the change you need. That being so against the wall of duty and responsibility, may just be teaching you how much you need to let go of control. That this weight may just be a blessing in disguise, offering you the saving grace of going back to the basics, and letting go of what (and who) stretches you too thin and too far.
At the end of the day, yes, you’re tired, exhausted even, because you’re over-committed. Decide to forgive yourself for not knowing better, for taking on too much, for bravely attempting to be all things to all people. But don’t unpack and stay there. Decide to move forward with a lighter baggage, devoid of others’ overwhelming expectations and demands. Decide to give yourself the grace you’ve so desperately been waiting for others to give you. Be your own kind of change, your own revolution.
Dare to say no, to decline, to ask for what you need. Dare to not be available, to save some of yourself for yourself, and to require that your time and energy be valued and respected. Date to do your own thing, to be your own person, and to let the chips fall where they may.
Last but not least, dare to release the habits, mindsets, beliefs, places, people, that prevent you from reclaiming your wholeness. Dare to take back the pieces of you that you’re going to need to continue and finish your own race. Dare to let go of exhaustion, overwhelm, and over-commitment as badges of honor, because you deserve more…
Ask a CPA: How do I organize my finances during the pandemic?
Q: How do I organize my personal finances during uncertain times such as this current pandemic?
A: Uncertain times such as the COVID-19 pandemic currently going on bring about a host of financial issues and uncertainties. With millions of individuals losing their jobs, the stock market registering concerning changes, and the economy threatening to topple over, most of us have been reorganizing our finances, or at least considering to do so. Some have been forced to do so, as a result of job losses, layoffs and other unforeseen personal and family circumstances.
If you’ve been seriously thinking about managing your finances in a more effective way, here are a few tips you may consider:
Set a contingency budget
If you’ve already got a budget, you’re in a good place. However, during uncertain and challenging times, you may need a contingency version of it. Consider this to be a slimmer, “emergency fund” version of your budget. This version cuts away the stuff you can live without, the luxuries you can do without, and trims your expenses down to the basics. This is not to say you should survive on bread and water, but rather that you would consciously re-evaluate your wants vs. your needs.
Prioritize your emergency fund
As you trim your expenses down, you may also want to increase your emergency fund. This may mean re-allocating the funds usually dedicated to luxuries to your savings funds. The good news is that in less uncertain times, you can always use this extra cash to treat yourself!
Let’s get back to basics
Getting back to basics is not just about trimming your budget. It’s also about adopting more of a DIY attitude. As you spend more time at home, consider acquiring more practical skills such as cleaning, recycling, cooking, etc… As a busy working mom, I would outsource many of the tasks I didn’t have time to do, such as ordering food out, hiring cleaning or landscaping help. However, I’ve found myself enjoying cooking more, and even learning to garden a bit, and saving money in the process.
Not being able to go to stores has also been a blessing in disguise. I’ve learnt to live more simply, not buying as much, and instead using what I have. The result? More savings, doing more with the family, and even better skin (hello, less makeup).
These are a few tips that can help with re-organizing your finances during uncertain times such as the COVID-19 pandemic we’re currently facing. You may even find, like I did, that this is an opportunity to learn new skills, save more money, and overall learn to live better.
What tips are you using to re-organize your finances during the pandemic?
It takes a crisis to reveal the true character of situations. The current COVID-19 pandemic, as most crisis, is revealing many, if not most of the inequities, around gender. One of the most striking manifestations of this is directly linked to parenting. The reality is, this pandemic is killing working moms, figuratively and literally.
Truth is, it is digging so deep into our last reserves of resilience and strength, as well as into any of the gender equity advances we’ve managed to make so far, that it may have the potential to set us back decades behind. However, what this current crisis also is, is a loud, stringent wake-up call for working mothers, and everyone else around. A call to re-visit, re-evaluate, not just the modern pressure of 21stcentury parenting, but also the very much contemporary meaning assigned to being a working mom.
Over time, with advances in gender equity and stronger initiatives (and incentives) for equal pay, working mothers have certainly gained some ground, although not enough just yet. However, what we’ve also gained has been the added pressure of living up to the impossibly high standard of “having it all”, even if not at the same time. We can all agree that having and doing it all at the same time, is a surefire recipe for disaster. So we’ve compromised instead on having and doing it all, just not at the same time. More realistic, certainly. Less heavy, probably not.
What it means really at the end of the day is that we’re carrying an ever heavier load, including work, parenting, life and everything in between. We’re just spreading the pie thinner rather than letting it get thicker. Yet, really, is it truly better to be spread thinner, rather than carrying a thicker weight? Aren’t both alternatives just different takes on picking our own “self-made” version of the same lethal poison?
What this pandemic has clearly, and quite harshly, if I may say so myself, shown me is that however you decide to slide the modern working mom pie, it is still too much. It doesn’t matter how many shifts one decides to compartmentalize the various demanding parts of their life and work in, it’s still too much. Too many responsibilities, too many compartments, too much to think about, even at different intervals and times…You can’t just switch off from being a great, present mom, to full-on career beast mode, and then to baking the perfect cake. You’re not a robot, you’re a human being, and yes, you’re pretty amazing but you’re not super-human…
Yes, the pandemic is killing working moms. Yet, it’s not inventing anything new. It’s simply amplifying the imbalance that’s been there for working mothers for quite some time, and the elusive appeal of the “have it all” mentality. It’s uncovered the fallacy of the modern take on gender equity and equality, and removed the mask off of the reality of contemporary motherhood. A reality steeped in profound, staggering, fundamental inequities that more flexibility, increased pay or a shattering of the glass ceiling, only scratch the surface of.
If this pandemic is offering us one saving grace, it is that of realizing that working mothers need more than just occasional help and assistance. They need a complete overhaul of an entire societal foundation anchored in gender inequity. They need for the load to be shared not just equally, but better; for structures and infrastructures, from roads and highways to the justice system, to reflect the needs of working moms and parents; and for organizations to respect the needs of families over profits.
They say it takes a crisis to reveal true character. At the end of the day, this crisis here is a wake-up call, not just for working mothers, but for an entire society, to re-think its ways, its priorities, and its heart.
